650-900KG/H Teff Grass Hammer Mill in Australia

Why a Farm in the Central Tablelands Needed a Teff Grass Hammer Mill

The Central Tablelands of New South Wales have a climate suitable for growing teff – warm summers, moderate rainfall. The farm we worked with grows its own teff on 80 hectares. The grass is cut in late summer, dried in the field (Australian summers are hot and dry), and baled at 9-11% moisture.

Teff is increasingly popular for horses with metabolic issues (equine metabolic syndrome, Cushing's, insulin resistance) and for alpacas, which are sensitive to high-sugar forages. But the very fine stems of teff create significant waste when fed long – the hay shatters, and small pieces fall through feeders.

The farm owner had been using a local contractor to grind hay, but the contractor's mill was too coarse (8mm screen), and the results were inconsistent. Some batches had pieces over 15mm that the alpacas would not eat. She needed a dedicated mill with a fine screen.

The owner tested the grass and found that a 4mm screen size was ideal for both horses and alpacas. She considered an Australian-made hammer mill crusher machine offered by a dealer in Sydney. The price was AUD $22,000 for a 37kW machine – significantly higher than international options.

She had experience importing equipment and decided to look overseas. She found RICHI Machinery through a reference from a horse farm in New Zealand.

Our price, delivered to the port of Sydney, was AUD $5,800 for the SFSP56*40 with 37kW motor. This included the mill, the cyclone, the fabric filter bag, and a starter set of 3mm, 4mm, and 5mm screens.

Machine Selection: The SFSP56*40 for Teff Hay

After testing teff samples at our Qingdao facility, the farm owner selected the SFSP56*40 hammer mill with a 37kW motor. This model is the smallest in the SFSP line but adequate for her volume of about 300 tons of teff hay per year. The 560mm rotor diameter and 400mm crushing chamber width provide fine grinding capability without excessive power consumption.

The teff grass hammer mill in Australia came with three screens. The owner tested all three on the teff hay (10% moisture):

• 5mm screen: Throughput of 0.9 tons per hour. Particle size: 80% between 1.5mm and 5mm, 12% below 1.5mm, 8% above 5mm. The horses ate most of it, but the alpacas left some of the larger pieces (over 5mm). Waste: about 10% for alpacas.
• 4mm screen: Throughput dropped to 0.8 tons per hour. Particle size: 85% between 1mm and 4mm, 10% below 1mm, 5% above 4mm. Both horses and alpacas ate everything. No visible waste. The owner chose the 4mm screen as the standard.
• 3mm screen: Throughput dropped to 0.65 tons per hour. Particle size: 85% between 0.8mm and 3mm. More dust. The horses coughed slightly. Not ideal for equine respiratory health.

The 4mm screen proved the sweet spot for both species. The 5mm screen left waste for alpacas. The 3mm screen created too much dust.

The mill discharges into a cyclone, and the cyclone vent goes into a fabric filter bag. Teff hay is low-dust compared to other grasses, but fine grinding creates some fines. The bag captures about 90% of them.

What the Ground Teff Hay Is Used For

The farm produces two different rations:

Performance horse ration (for Arabian endurance horses):

• 60% ground teff hay (4mm screen)
• 20% ground lupins (for protein)
• 10% beet pulp (soaked)
• 5% rice bran
• 5% minerals and salt

The horses are fed twice per day. The owner reported that feed waste has dropped from 20% to under 4%. The horses have better energy levels and fewer metabolic issues.

Alpaca ration (for pregnant and lactating females):

• 55% ground teff hay (4mm screen)
• 20% ground barley
• 15% lucerne (alfalfa) chaff
• 10% minerals (specifically formulated for camelids)

The alpacas eat everything. The owner reported that cria (baby alpaca) birth weights have increased by 8% since switching to ground teff.

What the Customer Said After One Year

We spoke with the farm owner about one year after delivery. Here is what she told us:

"The teff grass hammer mill has been exactly what we needed. The 4mm screen works perfectly for both our horses and alpacas. There is no waste now. The animals eat everything.

The mill runs about three hours per day, four days per week. We have put about 400 hours on it. We changed the hammers at 300 hours – flipped them to the unused side. The 4mm screen is still the original – no holes.

Teff is very fine-stemmed. It grinds easily. The 4mm screen produces a consistent meal that is not dusty.

The only issue was the manual feeding. Breaking the bales by hand is slow. I am planning to buy a small bale breaker next season.

Would I buy from RICHI again? Yes. I have already recommended your mill to two other farms."

Logistics: Shipping from Qingdao to Sydney

The mill was shipped from Qingdao to the Port of Sydney – about 25 days at sea. From Sydney, the customer arranged truck transport to Mudgee, about 260 kilometers inland. Total transit time was about 33 days.

Pre-sale services that built their confidence

The farm owner had specific requirements for both species. Here is what we did:

• Material testing: She sent us 15kg of teff hay by air freight. We ran it through an SFSP56*40 in Qingdao using 3mm, 4mm, and 5mm screens. We sent her the particle size analysis and a video showing the difference. She chose the 4mm screen.
• Species-specific advice: We explained that alpacas require finer grind than horses. The 4mm screen worked for both.
• Reference from a customer in New Zealand: We put her in touch with a horse farm in Canterbury that had bought an SFSP56*40 from us for teff hay. They confirmed that the 4mm screen worked well for their metabolic horses.
• English manual with photos: The photos helped her staff with installation.

A Note on Grinding Teff Hay

A few practical lessons from this installation:

• Teff hay is ideal for metabolic horses and camelids. It is naturally low in sugar and gluten-free. Grinding to 4mm reduces waste significantly.
• The 4mm screen works for both species. The owner does not need to change screens. One setting for both horses and alpacas.
• Dust is manageable. Teff produces less dust than many other grasses. A cyclone with a fabric bag is sufficient.
• Hammer wear is low. Teff has very low silica content. The owner got 300 hours from the first hammer set and expects 500+ from the next set.

Global Reach of RICHI Hammer Mills

This project in Australia is one example. RICHI has exported hammer mills for teff hay and other specialty forages to over 80 countries.

The SFSP56*40 grass crusher machine is a popular choice for small farms and specialty operations because it can achieve the fine grind needed for metabolic horses and camelids. The 4mm screen is a standard recommendation for teff hay.

A teff grass hammer mill in Australia makes economic sense for any farm with access to this drought-tolerant, low-sugar forage. The reduction in feed waste alone often pays for the mill within two years.

If You Are Grinding Teff Hay for Horses or Camelids

A few things to consider:

• What screen size do your animals need? For metabolic horses, 4mm works well. For healthy horses, 5-6mm. For alpacas and llamas, 4mm. For rabbits and guinea pigs, 3mm.
• What is your moisture? Teff hay should be below 14% moisture. Higher moisture can cause mold.
• How will you handle the dust? Teff is low-dust, but a cyclone with a fabric filter bag is still recommended.
• What is your throughput requirement? The SFSP56*40 can handle 0.65-0.9 tons per hour on a 4mm screen, depending on the dryness of the hay.
• Do you have a local source of teff hay? Teff is becoming more widely available in Australia, the United States, and other countries.

If you have horses with metabolic issues or camelids that need low-sugar forage, a teff grass hammer mill with a 4mm screen can transform your feeding program. Send us a sample of your teff hay.

We will test it with different screens and send you the particle size analysis. You can see the results before you decide. RICHI Machinery has exported hammer mills for forage processing to over 80 countries worldwide.